High chair tray



y 14, 1963 T. G. WEBB ETAL 3,383,134

HIGH CHAIR TRAY Filed Oct. 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fi 1 INVENTORS THOMAS G. WEBB BY JOHN J. HAMILTON ATTORNEY May 14, 1968 Filed Oct. 5, 1966 Fig. 2

T. G. WEBB ETAL HIGH CHAIR TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

INVENTORS THOMAS 5. WEBB BY JOHN J. HAMILTON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,383,134 HIGH CHAIR TRAY Thomas G. Webb and John J. Hamilton, Columbus, Ind., assignors to Hamilton Cosco, Inc., Columbus, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Oct. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 583,587 10 Claims. (Cl. 297153) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods and comprising a shelf member having a pair of laterally spaced locking members swingably mounted thereon on vertical axes. Each of said locking members is formed with a topwall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls. Upper and lower flanges project inwardly from the inner wall for reception around one of said rails, and said lower flange has a slot formed therein which is receivable around one of said rods. Pins extend between said shelf member and locking members and carry springs for urging said locking members to swing inwardly for reception of said upper and lower flanges around said rails and said lower flange slots around said rods.

This invention relates to a high chair tray and more particularly to a removable tray for a high chair.

It is an object of the invention to provide an infants high chair tray which can be easily mounted on and removed from a high chair, which can be rigidly locked in position on said high chair, which will provide a stable tray surface for said high chair, which can be economically manufactured largely from plastic moldings, and which will have an attractive appearance yet prove sturdy and durable in use.

The invention is directed to a tray for use with a high chair provided with a pair of lateral side rails having pluralities of rods extending vertically therefrom. According to the preferred form of the invention, the tray comprises a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt. A pair of laterally spaced locking members are swingably mounted on the underside of said shelf member on vertical axes. Each of said locking members comprises a top wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls. Said top wall is swingably connected adjacent one of its ends to the shelf member on one of said vertical axes and is provided at its opposite ends with an outwardly projecting tongue slidably carried in a slot formed in the skirt on the shelf member. Upper and lower flanges project inwardly from the inner wall to define an inwardly open channel adapted to be received around one of the side rails on the high chair for thus supporting the tray in an operative position on said chair. A slot is formed in the lower flange for reception around one of the side rail rods for releasably looking the tray in operative position on said chair.

A pin is mounted on the underside of the shelf member adjacent each of the locking members, and each of said locking members is provided with an upwardly projecting stop having an opening therein through which one of the pins extends. Each of said pins carries a spring acting between the shelf member and the stop on its associated locking member for biasing the locking members inwardly to dispose their inwardly open channels around the chair side rails and their slots around the chair rail rods. Thus, outward swinging movement of the locking members will compress said springs and permit the locking members to be removed from the chair side rails and rods for removing the tray from said chair.

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Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a high chair having a tray embodying the invention mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 2r-2 of FIG. 1 showing one of the tray locking members;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section similar to FIG. 2, but showing the tray locking member in released position;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2.

Our tray is adapted to be used with a conventional infants high chair having a plurality of ground-engageable legs supporting a seat 12. A pair of lateral side rails 14 are mounted on the upper ends of the legs by a plurality of vertically extending rods 15- and support the chair back rest 16.

The tray, which is to be carried on the side rails 14, comprises a shelf 18 conveniently formed as a plastic molding. Said shelf is provided with a peripherally depending skirt 19 and has a generally C-shaped configuration including a central portion 20 and a pair of rearwardly projecting arm portions 21. As shown in FIG. 2, longitudinally spaced, inwardly projecting ribs 22, 23, and 24 are formed on the underside of the shelf adjacent its lateral edges with ribs 22 and 23 being connected by a fore and aft rib 25.

A pair of opposed locks, which can also be conveniently formed from plastic, are mounted on the underside of the shelf 18- in opposed relation adjacent the lateral edges thereof. Except for being mirror images of each other the locks are identical to each other in their construction and their mounting on the tray. Thus, only one lock and its mounting on the tray will be described herein.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of said locks comprises an elongated top wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer Walls 32 and 34. As shown in FIG. 5, the top wall 30 is adapted to ride against the lower faces of ribs 22-25, and its forward end is angled upwardly, as at 36, to dispose it adjacent the bottom face of the shelf 18. The forward end of wall 30 is provided with an opening 37 swingably mounted on a post 38 projecting downwardly from shelf 18 to define a vertical axis about which the lock is swingable. The opposite or outer end of wall 30 terminates in an upwardly angled outwardly projecting tongue 40 slidably carried in an elongated horizontal slot 42 formed in the shelf skirt 19 for thus supporting the outer end of the look as it is swung about the axis of post 38.

As shown in FIG. 4, upper and lower flanges 44 and 45 project inwardly from the inner wall 32 and act in combination with said inner wall to define an inwardly open channel receivable around the adjacent chair side rail 14 for supporting the tray in a level position on the chair. A rearwardly angled slot 46 is formed in flange 45 intermediate its length for reception about one of the side rail rods 15 for releasably locking the tray in the desired fore and aft position on the chair.

As shown in FIG. 4, a stop 50 projects upwardly from top wall 30 adjacent the wall 34. Said stop is provided with an opening 52 through which a transverse pin 54 mounted on the shelf rib 25 and skirt 19 extends. A spring 56 is mounted on pin 54 with its outer end bearing against the shelf skirt 19 and its inner end bearing against stop 50 to thus urge the lock to swing inwardly about post 38 to cause the lock flanges 44 and 45 to be received around the adjacent side rail 14 and the slot 46 to be received around one of the side rail posts 15. As will be apparent, stop 50 engages rib and tongue engages the edge of skirt slot 41 for limiting the inward swinging movement of the lock. Conveniently, the lock is stiffened intermediate the shelf ribs 23 and 24 by a pair of upwardly projecting braces 58 and 60. The brace 69 is disposed at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the lock and is adapted to bear against shelf rib 24 as the lock is swung to and from operative position to help guide the lock swinging movements.

To place the tray on a chair, one merely grasps the outer walls 34 and swings the locks outwardly about the axes of posts 38. During such outward swinging movement, the tongues 40 will ride in the shelf slots 42 and brace 60 will ride against rib 24 to guide the swinging movements of the locks. The locks are further guided during their outward swinging movements by their stops riding on pins 54. With the locks swung outwardly, the tray can be disposed over the chair side rails 14, and when the tray is in the desired position of adjustment on said side rails, the outward pressure applied to the locks is released. Said locks will then swing inwardly under the action of springs 56 with their flanges 44 and 45 being received around the side rails 14 and their slots 46 being received around the aligned side rail rods 15. To change the position of the tray on said side rails, it is merely necessary to swing the locks outwardly against the compression of springs 56 until the slots 46 clear the rods 15 so that the tray can be moved along said side rails until the slots 46 register with the desired rods 15.

We claim:

1. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt, at least one locking member swingably mounted on said shelf member on a vertical axis, said locking member having a tongue slidably carried in a slot formed in said skirt and an inwardly open channel receivable around one of said side rails, said channel having a slot formed in its edge receivable around one of said rods, and biasing means acting between said shelf member and said locking member urging said locking member to swing inwardly.

2. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt; a pair of laterally spaced looking members swingably mounted on said shelf member on vertical axes; each of said locking members comprising a top wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls, upper and lower flanges projecting inwardly from said inner wall for reception around one of said rails, said lower flange having a slot formed therein for reception around one of said rods, and a stop projecting upwardly from said top wall; a pair of pins mounted on said shelf member extending through openings in said stops; and a spring carried on each of said pins acting between said shelf member and said stops for urging said locking members to swing inwardly.

3. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt; a pair of laterally spaced looking members swingably mounted on said shelf member on vertical axes; each of said locking members comprising a top wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls, upper and lower flanges projecting inwardly from said inner wall for reception around one of said rails, said lower flange having a slot formed therein for reception around one of said rods, and a stop projecting upwardly from said top wall; a pair of pins mounted on said shelf member extending through openings in said stops; and a spring carried on each of said pins acting between said shelf member and said stops for urging said locking members to swing inwardly; said shelf meniher having a pair of downwardly projecting posts forming said vertical axes and said top walls having openings formed therein swingably received on said posts.

4. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt; a pair of laterally spaced locking members swingably mounted on said shelf member on vertical axes; each of said locking members comprising a top Wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls, upper and lower flanges projecting inwardly from said inner wall for reception around one of said rails, said lower flange having a slot formed therein for reception around one of said rods, and a stop projecting upwardly from said top wall; a pair of pins mounted on said shelf member extending through openings in said stops; a spring carried on each of said pins acting between said shelf member and said stops for urging said locking members to swing inwardly; and said top walls on said locking members having outwardly projecting tongues slidably carried in slots formed in said skirt.

5. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt; a pair of laterally spaced locking members swingably mounted on said shelf member on vertical axes; each of said locking members comprising a top wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls, upper and lower flanges projecting inwardly from said inner wall for reception around one of said rails, said lower flange having a slot formed therein for reception around one of said rods, and a stop projecting upwardly from said top wall; a pair of pins mounted on said shelf member extending through openings in said stops; and a spring carried on each of said pins acting between said shelf member and said stops for urging said locking members to swing inwardly; said shelf member having a pair of downwardly projecting posts forming said vertical axes and said top walls on said locking members having openings adjacent one of their ends swingably received on said posts and tongues at their opposite ends slidably carried in slots formed in said skirt.

6. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf member having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt; a pair of laterally spaced locking members swingably mounted on said shelf member on vertical axes; each of said locking members comprising a top wall interconnecting downwardly projecting inner and outer walls, upper and lower flanges projecting inwardly from said inner wall for reception around one of said rails, said lower flange having a slot formed therein for reception around one of said rods, and a stop projecting upwardly from said top wall; a pair of pins mounted on said shelf member extending through openings in said stops; and a spring carried on each of said pins acting between said shelf member and said stops for urging said locking members to swing inwardly; said pins being mounted in said skirt and in ribs formed on said shelf member and said springs being interposed between said stops and skirt.

7. A high chair tray for use on a high chair having a pair of side rails provided with downwardly projecting rods, comprising a shelf having a downwardly projecting peripheral skirt; a plurality of downwardly projecting transverse ribs on said shelf adjacent the lateral edges thereof; a pair of laterally spaced, downwardly projecting posts on said shelf; a pair of locking members each comprising a top wall carried against said ribs and having an opening formed therein swingably received on one of said posts, inner and outer walls projecting downwardly from said top wall, upper and lower flanges projecting inwardly from said inner Wall for reception around one of said side rails, said lower flange having a slot formed therein for reception around one of said rods, and a stop projecting upwardly from said top wall; a pair of pins mounted on said shelf extending through openings in said stops; and a spring carried on each of said pins acting between said stops and shelf for urging said looking members to swing inwardly.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 with the addition that a pair of said transverse ribs at each lateral edge of said shelf are interconnected by a third rib engageable with said stops upon inward swinging movement of said locking members, and said pins are connected to said skirt and third ribs.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 7 with the addiof each locking member to slidably engage one of the ribs on said shelf.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 7 with the addition that a tongue projects upwardly and outwardly from the top wall on each of said locking members and is slidably carried in a slot formed in said skirt.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,223,543 4/1917 Wedge 297153 2,028,128 1/1936 Braasch 297-150 2,728,378 12/1955 Hamilton 297-151 3,084,976 4/1963 Bahr 297-153 3,132,895 5/1964 Pollington 297-153 X tion that a brace projects upwardly from the top wall 15 JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner. 

